I mean, last year when I saw The Wolverine, me and the whole audience went nuts over the Easter Egg linking into this. I mean, look what we have here! Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan back together on screen! Bryan Singer's back! More from the excellent First Class cast! Sentinels! 70s fashions! Peter. Mother. Fuckin'. DINKLAGE!!! I should be all over this! But why is it all I can feel is "meh"?
I think it's mainly down to one factor. The Last Stand. Yeah, I know it was eight years ago and all (and who else suddenly felt really old as you read that?), but I can't help but get a real sense of the same vibe from this. You've got the First Class and original trilogy casts combining, and on top of that, they're introducing a whole bunch more characters. In fact, Empire magazine were able to do TWENTY FIVE character covers on it! Geez, do you think that's enough? What's more, they have said that even more characters, including Anna Paquin back as Rogue, have been cut. That doesn't bode well for story coherency. Also, look at Quicksilver at 1:03 above, or in this cover!
Yeah, they're still not doing well at the whole character design thing. That goes for the Sentinels too; look up a picture of one of them, and tell me that in any way looks like a 1970s design aesthetic. Also, check out the poster, and tell me it does not look like Patrick Stewart on it is letting one rip! Drew Struzan, your species needs you!
But it's not just marketing and aesthetic quibbles. There's also the way it's treating one of the comic's best storylines, namely cutting out the lead from the comics, Kitty Pride, and putting Wolverine in her place, because it's not like he's over exposed or anything. Not only does this bother me in the ongoing issue of treatment of female characters, but it comes right after The Wolverine did a really good job translating the comic to the screen. Then there's the overly portentous looking tone, looking seriously to grim for it's own good. None of the cast in that trailer look all that happy to be there (reportedly, Michael Fassbender was hoping to get an Assassin's Creed movie of the ground, but he's doing this instead.) Final nail in the coffin though is the screenwriter; while Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman are credited with story, the actual writer is Simon Kinberg. He has previously written This Means War. And X-Men The Last Stand. Oh dear.
Now, this is all speculation, I might be wrong, I'm not trying to bring anyone else down on this, and Bryan Singer coming back to the franchise might be what turns the whole thing around. Fox are certainly keen, plans are already afoot for X-Men Apocalypse (gee, wonder who the villain in that one will be?), and I really hope I'm completely on the wrong track with all my misgivings. But the fact remains that this is mostly happening so that Fox don't have to give Marvel one of their toys back, as is that new Fantastic Four movie on the way. I didn't have this on my most looked forward to list, and I'm standing by that, I don't think it's a huge omission. I honestly do hope this turns out good, but I think the odds are never in its favour. That was a pun. You know, cause Jennifer Lawrence is in this and Hun.. nevermind...
No comments:
Post a Comment